Fable II: Just the beginning
by ShadowCat-009
Summary: After her long, painful fight against Lucian, Amelia- or Shadowfiend- intended to settle down with her family. But that was not what was in store for her just yet...
1. Prologue

**-Sorry for the bad title**

**-I do not own fable or fable II**

**-For the sake of (at least trying) to keep away from all confusions, the Hero's (Shadowfiend's) name will be…*pauses to quickly think of a name*…. Amelia. (Sorry- I can't think of a good name right now… Ideas for a new name are GREATLY appreciated.)**

**-Amelia (or whatever her name is) hardly EVER talks, so, just letting you guys know…**

**-*The first chapter (this one) is basically what happened in the ending of the game- you can just skip it, if you want**

**-*SPOILERS FOLLOWING- IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE GAME DON'T READ THIS***

**-And, one more thing….I'm really sorry this is so poorly written…comments are very much welcome**

**___**

A sliver music box crashed to the floor, its use now almost forgotten as a young, vengeful hero pulled out her pistol, ready to strike her seemingly everlasting foe to his death. Three other people lay unconscious on the floor, wheezing slightly from exhaust.

Amelia paused, finger ready to pull the trigger aimed directly at Lucien's heart- _that is, if he had one_, the Hero thought to herself coldly. Her eyes, filled of tears for the lost lives of those she loved, as she glared down the man that had haunted her for as long as she could remember. She was ready; she wanted to put all of her hate into this one bullet, all the frustration and pain this one man had given her- even if the last fluttering beats of her own heart went with. _Finally_, she thought to herself, tears starting to stream down her pale cheeks, _I'll have what I've wanted…_

But the man, whose attempts had been thwarted for the final time, began to speak, his glowing eyes trying to bore holes into Amelia's head.

"Do you consider THIS a victory?!" the old man spat out, staggering backwards as he glared back at the woman, "You are only delaying the inevitable…" the Shadowfiend, as she was called, blinked twice, her thoughts faltering slightly as she listened. Of course, she didn't know why she did- his voice made it feels like snakes were crawling throughout her skull, slithering through her mind and leaving venomous lies in their wake. Taking advantage of the quiet, the crook waved his hands to gesture at the world around him, "All that you've struggled for will be crushed under the majesty of the Spire. Why…_why_ must you interfere?!" He practically choked out, but Amelia wasn't listening. Instead, she was staring at her gun hand, her gaze a frosty glare. _What's wrong with me?! _She began to think bitterly as her hands shook violently, _I have what I've been looking for, I finally have vengeance in my grasp…What's wrong with me?_ "…What are you fighting to protect?!" he continued, wheezing heavily. The Fourth Hero looked at Lucien though tear stained eyes; part of her knew killing him now, a defenseless man, wasn't right- on the other hand, she wanted it so much, for Rose… For her precious dog… For everything.

Her gun hand steadied, her eyes filled with a new found determination, Amelia pulled the trigger, and a bullet hit Lucien straight in the heart.

But the bullet was not hers.

The young Hero almost let out a cry of frustration as she watched the old man slip off the platform, blood spluttering from his mouth from his last breaths, rendered silent as he fell down into the black depths of the Spire.

"Ugh, I thought he'd NEVER shut up," Reaver said casually, placing his gun back into its holster. He paused, looking at the woman now holding the gun at her side. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did you want to kill him?" The Fourth Hero, almost blinded by tears, glared at the man who had previously tried to steal away her youth as her strong and flexible fingers began to leave indents in the gun's handle. The weapon made a snapping noise in protest before breaking in two, the bottom of the handle falling to the floor.

"Oh, shut it, Reaver!" A large woman, Hammer, snapped at him from the other side of the room. In retaliation, Reaver gave the Hero of Strength a sneer as he tried to make sure he was safe from Amelia. Garth, however, stood in his place quietly, as though his thoughts were somewhere else.

There was a moment of silence before Hammer said, "…Lucien's…dead….So…What happens now?"

"Now?" A quiet, all-knowing voice came from the middle of the room. They looked as Theresa teleported into the middle-platform, which made all four of them jump. "It is time you gained your reward: your gift for saving the world from a madman's selfish dream." The youngest Hero's eyebrows knitted together slightly; wasn't it enough to get rid of him, once and for all? The blind woman smiled slightly, as though she could see her student's confusion, "The Spire has awakened. And it still has the power to grant one wish: yours." At this, Amelia's eyes widened in shock. "Here," her tutor said, "take my hand." Suddenly, another voice came, but it had no form- just sweet childhood memories and a warming love attached to it as it came and went. "_Don't be afraid, Little Sparrow…"_ It spoke softly.

_Rose??_ Amelia looked around hurriedly, almost desperate to find the face of the speaker, yet only meeting darkness. Then, hesitantly, she grasped the hand that had led her throughout all those dark years.

Amelia blinked, and found herself in an empty space; nothing but white, white, and more white. Then, Theresa appeared and said solemnly, "You stand in the Heart of the Spire, as the Archon of the Old Kingdom did, thousands of years ago. Now it is your turn. Make a wish, but choose wisely, for it will affect all Albion." The young woman practically choked. "A…Anything??"

The older woman nodded, "But choose wisely, for it will affect all of Albion." She paused yet again, and cards began to pop into sight. The first was 'Sacrifice'- in other words, she could bring back all those who had died in the making of the Spire. "A selfless gift," Theresa commented as she moved on to the next two cards.

Another card popped up to her right, which had a picture of a glittering treasure chest. "More wealth than you can imagine, and to spend on whatever pleases." As Theresa finished this, Amelia almost thought she heard a voice in the background, saying something like, "Go for the gold!" and another voice replying, "Oh, shuttup, man!" She shook her head slightly, relinquishing those voices from her thoughts, Amelia looked at the card that had appeared in front of her. "And Love," the elderly woman continued with a wave of her hand. "Those dearest to you, even your faithful dog, will be restored back to life." The blind seer paused, as though to let it sink in, before saying, "But their lives will come at the cost of the countless innocents that died in building the Spire. What will you choose?" And with that, the other woman became silent as she awaited her student's response.

The Shadowfiend paused. Of course, money was out of the question- she had more than enough already, and didn't care much for the stuff. Now, only two choices remained for her: Love or Sacrifice. Truth be told, she didn't know quite what to do. "I…I…" she tried to speak, but her mouth went dry. Amelia had given up her life to protect everything else; she gave everything, and just when she thought nothing else could be taken away, the world had yet again stolen the ground beneath her feet, and watched with a cold stare as she spiraled down into a void of revenge and depression. She looked back at her teacher, "I choose Love- I want all those I loved returned to life." There was a silence that seemed to last forever, until…

"So be it."

The Spire rumbled as flickering blue lights exuded the tall, black tower. All of a sudden, the Spire imploded, the light dimming away as a wave shot through all across the world- and, just like that, it was done.

"When you return, your furry companion will be waiting for you. And any who may declare you selfish or callous, any who themselves lost families to this place will know given such a choice, they might as well have done the same…" And with that, the white faded, and returned the young woman and Theresa back to their original places.

"We heard everything." Hammer was the first to speak.

"Yes: a wish was made- and the world will bear its consequences." Theresa replied before Amelia even knew how to respond. Instead, the Fourth Hero simply stared quietly at the larger woman. "I'd do almost anything to bring back the ones I loved," Hammer said solemnly, almost to herself. But Amelia already knew what the Hero of Strength was going to say…

"Oh, I think I might be ill…" Reaver commented in disgust, feigning sickness as he rolled his eyes.

"But you could have brought back thousands," Hammer continued, ignoring the rude remarks the Hero of Skill had just said, "All the victims of this horrible place"- she looked around the Spire-"…they had families, too…"

"It was her decision," Garth finally spoke, the wise man looking from Hammer to Amelia, "Let her live with it."

"It's just not the choice I thought you would make," Hammer said, her voice edged with sadness. The youngest woman tilted her head slightly away, not wanting to look at her dear friend any longer.

"Yes, yes, yes. But on to more important matter," Reaver interrupted impatiently, "What about _ME_? What do _I_ get? Cash would be nice."

"That is up to you," Theresa replied to the greedy man next to her, "I can send you anywhere from here. What do you wish?"

"I wish to return home." The Hero of Will first spoke, "to Samarkand."

"Ooh, I've never been to Samarkand," the Hero of Skill thought out loud, sounding rather excited, "Hot nights, exotic substances, and…uninhibited people." With this last statement, Amelia rolled her eyes and made a sound of disgust- _of course…_She thought to herself, _the ass has to think of his 'youth' first…_

"It's nothing like that," the mage protested.

"Trust me," the selfish man replied, waving his hand slightly, "_I'll _find the exciting bits."

"Fine, but stay out of my way," Garth said rather threateningly before turning to Hammer, "Hammer?"

"No, I'm done," the large red-head replied sadly. She turned to Amelia, "I know why we got attacked in the cave, the day we met. You brought those hollow men in with you." At this, Amelia hung her head slightly, filled with shame. "Two monks wouldn't have found anything. But a warrior finds battle. Always." Hammer turned to Theresa, "I want to go north, to study with those warrior monks. I was so sick of avoiding violence…" She paused, her voice rather bitter, "…Now I'm sick of causing it."

"Goodbye, Hero," Reaver said to Amelia, "I _can't thank you enough_ for dragging me into this mess…" At this last bit, his voice oozed with sarcasm. Amelia, who never talked to the arrogant man to the right of her, merely rolled her eyes again. "Oh!" He started again, as though just remembering something, "I should tell you…"-he paused, as though for dramatic effect-"I do have to make the occasional sojourn back to Albion. I do have obligations to some friends at Wraithsmarsh." He waved his hand in a circle and raised his eyebrows slightly to the youngest Hero, implying what she already knew. _Asshole_, the Fourth Hero thought to herself as she remembered what Reaver had put her through.

When she looked back at Reaver, he had already disappeared- teleported away by the blind woman. Garth was next, saying, "I had my doubts about you at first. But I'm glad we met," this made Amelia smile warmly as he continued, "And we shall meet again. You can count on it." And with that, he disappeared, leaving only herself, Hammer, and Theresa in the room. The two younger women stood, staring at each other, before Hammer said casually, "So, think you can handle Albion on your own?" Amelia chuckled slightly, "No," she replied quietly, in a joking manner.

"I need to get away from here for awhile. Do some thinking, for a change… It's not like I'm leaving much behind…" She looked closely at the younger woman before finishing, "Well, maybe one thing- the greatest friend I ever had. But it's time to say goodbye…" At this point, Amelia was smiling widely, tears practically raining off her face as she nodded slightly; she really, really didn't want to see her friend go. "Take care of yourself."

"Farewell, Hammer," Theresa said formerly, before teleporting Hammer away. Finally, Theresa turned to her former student, her pose becoming steely, "And now it is time for you to leave. The world is yours to enjoy." She paused, as an air of extreme command exuding from her very presence, "But the Spire…is mine. Begone." Before the younger woman could say goodbye, the room faded to black.

******

She felt something slimy and rough slide across her voice, and a voice saying urgently, "Amelia?? Amelia?! Oh dear, wake up!" Amelia opened her eyes, and her heart filled with an overwhelming joy. "Sebastian??"

The glowing brown Labrador barked in response, licking his owner's face lovingly. After hugging Sebastian extensively, she looked up at the man she hadn't seen in years, "...Alex?" she managed to choke out. Her husband nodded, smiling brightly as he held his wife delicately, as though she would break.

Together, they all walked to the house they had shared, before the… hobbe incident that Alex had had. "Oh, I almost forgot," Alex said, surprised as he rummaged through a bag and-after a few minutes- finally holding out a letter. "It's for you- I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but read… I didn't know you had a sister…" He rubbed his head apologetically.

"What??" And with that, Amelia took the letter gently. Reading the letter quickly, she smiled widely again before entering their house.

_Rose…. I'm glad you're okay…_

**HA! She only speaks about 19 full words out loud in the ENTIRE chapter (…*coughfivepagescough*)! **

**Well? Was it bad? Good? Something? Please, comment!  
**


	2. Back to Bowerstone

**-Here's the second chapter, whether you wanted it or not!! **

**-three years have passed since the original plot ended **

**-WARNING: Chapter filled with FAIL.**

***

A man crawled past the rats and sewage of the outer rims of Bowerstone, his face burned beyond all recognition. He was going to die, and he knew it. He choked in pain as his charred body began to convulse again, blood spluttering from his mouth.

_My wife. .. My children… _He sobbed inwardly to himself, reaching his hand out in an attempt to pull himself further across the muddy terrain. The snow had just begun to fall, leaving burning sensations on the man as the flakes hit his raw, scorched flesh. He had no idea how long it had been since the _incident_, but even if it had just been two hours ago, he felt like he had been squirming on the cold ground for an eternity.

He began wondering if it would be better to just drown himself in the river nearby. After all, if all of his family were dead, what point was there to go on living without them?

_Come to me…_

The man paused, so that only his wheezing breaths broke the deathly silence.

"Wh-…who…"

_Come to Me… I can give you everything you wanted…._

The man pulled his agonizing body toward the voice, resisting the urge to let out a pain-filled shriek. Finally, he reached a hole in the ground, larger than his head. He stretched his hand in, and yanked out- a mask. The man, discouraged once more, let his head flop to the ground in defeat, and began to sob.

_Oh, dear…My mind now plays tricks on me…_

_Wear me…._The voice practically sang to him, only this time, the voice _was_ in his head, _Wear me, and I can give you everything you want…_

The man wheezed, listening to the voice and believing himself insane. _How can a piece of old wood give me what I want??_

_Your home…_

_Your children…._

_Your Wife…_

And with that, the man didn't care. He didn't care if the voice was real or not- he just wanted his family back. With his last bit of strength, he grasped the mask tighter, raised his hand upward before letting it collapse onto his face.

And then, there was nothing.

***

A man walked through the streets of Bowerstone, a crowd of adoring women tripping over themselves following his every move. The man yawned in a bored fashion; he was quite used to this treatment, especially after coming back from Samarkand, and they were quite useful for…when he needed to make a _very important appointment_ with some… _friends._ He reached the inn door, walking through in a dramatic fashion. He honestly didn't know why he was doing this favor for the blind old hag, except that it was very important. _Senile old baboon…._ He sighed inwardly as he swiped his short, raven black hair out of his green eyes.

"Where can I find Shadowfiend?"

Everyone went silent. Stares of quiet astonishment came from all around the room- even the barman paused from pouring a drink to stare at the elegantly dressed man. "And who might be asking?"

This time, all of the women were quiet before gasping in unison, "_You don't know??!_"

"He's only, like, the most handsome man _ever_!" A blonde no older than her early twenties said from behind him, grabbing his shoulder affectionately.

"And the richest…" said another woman, her voice heavy with a foreign accent.

"And the smartest…" yet another woman said with a sigh, almost swooning before she swiped the blonde's hands off the man.

The barman's face was filled with a look of pure exasperation as he said, "Yeah, but what's his name??"

The man raised a well-plucked eyebrow, looking at the women behind him as he snapped his fingers. As though on cue, the women said, in an obsessively adoring way, "Why, he's Reaver!"

***

Amelia had just sat down under a tree next to her house, leaving her alone with Sebastian and a beautiful view of all Bowerstone. Both of them had changed much over the past three years; Sebastian's glowing fur was now not a chocolate brown, but speckled paper white. His fur seemed to have lost its shine over the years, but was only that much softer and longer as he rolled in the grass, resting his head on his master's lap. The dog's bright, golden-brown eyes were filled with a warmth and loyalty no other dog- or other animal, for that matter- could posses. The scar over his muzzle had healed, leaving only a small, waxy-looking scratch in its place.

Amelia, however, did not show any sign of age at all. In fact, she looked far more gorgeous than she had ever been in her life. Her black hair, which she had normally cut during her adventuring years, now cascaded down her shoulders, only making her snowy skin seem paler. The blue design of eccentric lines she had gained from using so much magic in the past years glowed softly under the setting sun, and the scars all over her body now only appeared thin, uneven, and dark lines. Her clear blue eyes, though at first seemed gentle and innocent, were wary, filled with experience and pain. As she scratched her dog behind his good ear, Amelia looked down at her ring finger, an expression of grief washing over her.

_Oh, Alex…_

"Excuse me, lady?" A voice said from behind her.

"Hmm?"

"I'm looking for Shadowfiend. Do you-" the voice paused, and she heard footsteps coming closer; she tensed, hand stretching for her sword (which she still kept it with her at all times, even at home), until…

"Shadowfiend??"

Amelia stood up, wiping the grass off her red-and-black dress before turning to the man. She groaned slightly in a mixture of disappointment and horror. _Why him? I really don't like him…_ the Fourth Hero sighed to herself as she put a hand on her hip.

Reaver (who had somehow managed to get rid of the crowds of obsessive women) arched his eyebrows, his mouth forming into a smirk. "Well, well, well…"he said, his eyes slowly looking the woman over, "time has been _very_ gracious to you…" the Hero of Skill began to walk up to her nonchalantly, obviously trying to make himself seem seductive. The woman tapped her foot impatiently, her glare boring holes into the man. "Well…still the wonderful conversationalist I knew three years ago." In response, Amelia rolled her eyes and uttered a disgusted sigh. "So…" Reaver paused again, leaning against a short stone wall, "why don't we go someplace quieter… to…_talk._"

Amelia looked at him as though he were a lunatic. Sebastian simply sat there, his teeth showing slightly as he stared at the 'young' man. The woman, taking a step closer to Reaver, gave him a very well-delivered slap to the face.

"Ow." The older man winced slightly, rubbing the red mark on his cheek. "What was that for?"

"Mommy?"

There was a pause as both Amelia and Reaver turned toward the door of the woman's home. In the doorway, a young girl and boy looked at their mother, eyes wide as they then looked from her to the strange man harassing her. It was the girl speaking, "Mommy, who's that?" she pointed to Reaver to emphasize who she was speaking about.

"No one you need to know, pumpkin," Amelia said kindly to her daughter, which made Reaver jump. _She never talks to ME…._ Reaver thought to himself childishly. And, that was true; he had only ever heard her speak once, and he had been eavesdropping. But then, he paused. _Waitaminute….'MOMMY'?? SHE'S A MOTHER???!_ His shoulders drooped slightly with disappointment.

"Now, shouldn't you two be in bed?" the woman raised her eyebrow knowingly.

"No…" the boy said from behind while the girl tried to stifle a loud yawn. Their mother chuckled slightly before telling Sebastian, "Make sure they go to bed." The old dog barked in response, herding the children back to their rooms.

Amelia turned back to Reaver. "What?"

"…You're married…"

"…"

"…And…You have kids…"

"…So?"

There was a pause.

"…Do you want to go to the inn to-" he was interrupted by another slap to the face. "Ow- stop doing that!" he said indignantly, but then he sniffled and turned away. "Fine. But you don't know what you're missing…"

"What did you really come here for?"

He paused again. What had he come over to Bowerstone for? He counted off what came to mind with his fingers. _Women…money…money…sex…message from old hag…money... -Oh, wait._ Then he remembered.

"Your blind old hag friend sent _me _to give you a message," Reaver said, as though it was the lowest thing he could do.

Amelia narrowed her eyes, "What sort of message?"

He waved his hand as he replied in a bored tone, "Oh, something about impending doom and whatnot… But I wasn't really listening, so, too bad," He paused again before finishing, "and she wants you to meet her at some-place-or-another, so if you'll come with me-"

"No."

"Great, so if we can ju- wait, what?" he stopped himself in mid-sentence, staring at her in surprise, although he really didn't care what the hell she did.

"I said no. I have a family to take care of, now…" she turned to smile fondly at the house which her children were fast asleep in.

There was something very important he was supposed to remember…

"Alright."

"Good."

Something very, VERY important…

"Goodb-"

_BLAM!_

_**FLASHBACK WARNING**_

_There he was, sitting in a corner of the bar, in which he was surrounded by the most beautiful and exotic women in Samarkand. _

"…_And then, I shot the Balverine, right in the face, and saved a child from the very jaws of death!" Reaver had just finished his tale dramatically, clenching his fist in victory._

"_Oh, , you are so very brave!" a woman to the far right of him swooned, followed of sighs of agreement from the others. Suddenly, all the women began to walk silently away, as though in a trance. "Where are you ladies off to?" he wondered out loud._

"_I sent them away," a stern, all-knowing voice came from the middle of the room. He looked to find himself in the presence of an old woman in a red-and-white robe._

"_Oh. It's you," Reaver groaned, the slightest dislike dribbling from his voice._

"_I have something very important for you to do…" Theresa said, inviting herself to the nearest seat._

"_Hmmm, and what is this… mission of yours?" he tapped his fingers on the wooden table impatiently._

"_Bring Shadowfiend to Bloodstone." Straight and to the point- just what he needed._

"_Why? Oh, never mind that dull question. More importantly, what do I get out of this?"_

"_Nothing."_

"_Ah, well, if that's the case-"_

"_But, if you don't," the blind woman interrupted casually, "you might want to get used to grey hair, liver spots, and cracking bones." At this, Reaver's eyes practically popped out of his head._

"…_How-"_

"_I have my ways. Now, will you accept my request?"_

_The man glowered, crossing his arms and pouting like a child. In three hundred years, no one had ever, EVER threatened to take away his youth- or even knew about his deal with the Shadow Council. He sighed agitatedly- he hated being stuck in a corner. _

"_Augh, fine. Where to I find her?"_

"_She lives in Bowerstone, at the moment." The blind seer replied, amused by the man's aggravated behavior. "Just tell her that dangerous times are approaching." And with that, the old woman disappeared, leaving Reaver alone in the corner of the dark inn._

"…_Dammit."_

_***FLASHBACK END***_

"PUT…ME…DOWN!" Amelia screeched, smacking his back repeatedly. She had no idea what had happened- one moment, he was standing there, still as a statue, and the next, she was hanging over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The dog came rushing out of the house, followed by the two children, who cried in unison, "Mommy?!"

Sebastian lunged at the Hero of Skill, missing only by inches. And then began the chase. First off was Reaver, still carrying a kicking Amelia, followed by a barking Sebastian who was gaining speed, and then shortly afterwards were the two children, screaming, "Give us back our mother!!" This kept up all the way to Bower Lake, where Sebastian was able to leap and grab the man's leg, followed by Amelia kicking him fairly hard in a _very_ sensitive place. Reaver, gasping the sudden pain, doubled over and dropped Amelia. The Fourth Hero scrambled away from Reaver.

"What the hell were yo-"

"Well, well, well," an eerie voice came from behind them. Everyone (except Reaver, who was too incapacitated at the moment to notice) looked at the speaker. A bandit, followed shortly by his group of thugs, "what do we gots ourselves here?" he chuckled under his breath. He looked at Amelia, and obviously recognized her, "Shadowfiend, eh? Well, it's our lucky day, eh, boys?" the bandit leader said stupidly, followed by some laughs from his cronies. Amelia only gave him a look, _well, aren't you smart?_ His eyes spotted the children and widened his grin, showing all of his brown, crooked teeth, "Brought ta kiddies out ta play, eh?" At this, everyone in the bandit group laughed loudly. Finally, the leader snapped his fingers, "Get 'em."

The bandits charged, weapons drawn. Amelia, who had drawn her sword, killed the first five with ease, decapitating them with enough grace to make it look like she was dancing. Reaver, who just got over his recent injuries, drew his gun from its holster and was able to shoot three bandits with only two shots. Now back to back, Reaver began to argue with Amelia.

"Why on in the world did you kick me _there_?"

"What?" Was all she could reply before slashing through another bandit, blood squirting all over the place.

"You heard me!" the man said back, smacking a rather large thug with his short-sword.

"Now is not the time for this!" She blocked and parried blows.

"What are you talking about? It's a perfect time!" Reaver casually remarked before shooting three rounds in to a large group of bandits who had the misfortune to have tripped over themselves during the fray.

"Well, what else was I going to do?" Amelia shot a fireball at the nearest bandit, burning him to a crisp. "You were kidnapping me!"

"No I wasn't!"

"Oh, yes, you were!" She snapped back, grabbing her own gun and blasting another thug away.

"Now, see here-" He shot at another- headshot, "-I was only-" another blast from his pistol sent a man falling down, blood pouring from the hole in his throat. "-Doing-" He slashed at yet another bandit, cutting him in half. "-My job!" Reaver finished, agitated.

"Yes- kidnapping me!" Amelia repeated, equally agitated as she let a charge of electricity shoot from her hand to four more thugs.

There were now, by far, less bandits than there had been before the fight. In fact, only three remained- the leader, who had disappeared during the fight, his second-in-command, who was easily dispatched of, and a particularly fat and slow thug carrying a large mace. This one, surprisingly, tripped on his own feet and sent himself tumbling down into the nearby river, knocking himself unconscious. Both of the remaining adults stared at the thug before searching for the leader

"Where is he?" Amelia murmured to herself, searching a nearby bush.

"Well, maybe-"

"Mommy!" two cries came from behind them as the children rushed forward.

"Eve! Thomas!" the Fourth Hero sighed in relief as she took her children into her arms. Reaver kept to himself quietly, and began to walk in another direction, as though trying to chase away his boredom. Sebastian, heckles raised, began to bark madly, running as fast as he could towards his owner. She turned to see the bandit leader, sword held above high above his head. "Sorry, hun," he cackled, "Taday's just not yer day…"

The children reacted first, pulling themselves away from their mother. Thomas, snatching a sword twice his size, swung it towards the sneaky thug, hitting him in the back of the knee. The bandit howled in pain, staggering back, but that wasn't the end of the attacks. Eve was next, producing small fireballs from her hands. The small girl ran forward, leaped into the air, and smashed the already falling man in the face.

Reaver just stared in astonishment- not that he'd ever show it. _How the hell can these children defeat a full-grown bandit without any problems? They're __**CHILDREN**__, for goodness's sake! How old are they?? Nine? Eleven? _Reaver looked at the boy, who was still dragging around the sword. _…Is she giving that kid steroids? _

"Mommy, I'm sleepy," Eve yawned, walking back to Amelia.

"Me, too, momma," Thomas agreed, dropping the huge sword with a loud _flump!_

"All right, you two, I'll carry you." Amelia picked up her children, who fell asleep almost immediately. Sebastian, who had just finished making absolutely sure the man was dead, walked over to Amelia's side, stretching as he walked.

There was a clicking of a gun behind them. Amelia turned to see Reaver, directing his gun towards the other three humans.

"Let's get going."

The dog barked angrily again, but Amelia stopped him from lunging.

"…Fine," she finally said sourly.

"That's a good girl," he said, watching her as she walked in front of him.

As they continued their walk, Reaver tried to start a discussion- which were always about him-, only to fail miserably (though he would never admit it), and then merely said, in his casual voice, "You know, you have some very strange children," before leaving Amelia alone to walk in silence.

***

**-I'm sorry; I'm not being that creative with the two newest characters, am I? And I totally messed up Reaver…*emo tear* **

**-You've all probably figured out who the main antagonist is- I know, it's horrible, but I really missed him from the first game. ******

**-Comments and advise much appreciated!!...Please?**


	3. Sea Sickness

**Chapter 3 (or 2): Sea Sickness**

**^_^; Here's the next chapter…**

**-This chapter's mainly to get to know the kids, and pass the time before I can think of how the plot should move forward, so…. Yeah. Bleh…**

When the children woke up, they were on a boat. Eve sat up first, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes before she stood uneasily on the floor. She began to walk silently over to the door as Thomas rolled out of the cot and onto the floor with a loud "Oof!" He quickly recovered jumping to his sister's side. "Where're we?"

"Dunno."

A pause. Both children looked at the door, as though they thought it would bite them if they were to touch the cold metal doorknob. "Opennit," the boy said, his speech slurred slightly as he watched Eve. Another pause; Eve and Thomas took a breath and reached for the door at the same time, pushing it open together. Cautiously, the siblings took a look around before stepping out of the small, warm cabin. Dusk had yet again fallen, as stars had just begun to dust the sky with their presence; the brisk, cold air hit their faces and they could practically taste the salt of the sea water. The small lights of the town were just beginning to die out as the villagers slid into the comforts of their own, well-known surroundings. They had been here before, they realized, but where?

It was Eve who finally found why they knew this place.

"This is Oakfield."

The memories seemed to flood back like a tidal wave, and together they seemed to watch those lost memories, as though in a movie. They watched their father fondly pick up a sobbing baby girl as a younger Thomas stood on his tip-toes to see the bundle. Next, their mother, training them to protect themselves, hours before reading bedtime stories and kissing them on the forehead before leaving to her husband; the happy couple watching their children as they played in a flowering meadow with toy swords and porcelain dolls.

They saw fire; they heard panicked screams and looked at terrified faces as the flames bit at their faces. The children remembered everything.

***_FLASH BACK ALERT!!***_

_The family had just finished a lovely picnic as the sun was just setting and left the lake glowing in its wake._

"_Mommy, mommy!! Look at what I found!!" the youngest child exclaimed, holding a beautiful rose up to her mother._

"_Why, that's lovely, pumpkin!" She exclaimed, smiling brightly at her daughter, "where in Albion did you find it??" In response, the little girl pointed her small, pudgy finger as a nearby meadow. "Well, it's wonderful, sweetheart!" The father came in now, gently touching his wife's shoulders. A boy came up from behind his little sister, smiling triumphantly, "Look a' what I found!!" And with that, the boy produced an enormous display of a variety of flowers- all of which still had their roots attached. "They're fer you!" The mother chuckled slightly, looking up at her husband before taking the flowers gently. "They're all beautiful." She smiled at her children, warmth filling her eyes. A dog, which had been rolling in the grass, bounded forward and quickly snatched at the flowers' roots._

_The father looked up at the sky, covering his brown eyes slightly against the setting sun. "We should get going, my darlings." The family had just begun to stand when a savage crunching noise came from a caravan nearby._

"_Momma, what waz that??" The boy asked quietly, sniffling as he began to hide behind his father._

"_I don't know," was her only reply, stepping forward as she drew out a hidden dagger. But, before she could do anything, her husband darted in front of her, taking the dagger. "Let me, Amelia," He said, quieter than before. She leaned in, trying to make it so the children couldn't hear, "Alex, don't do this. Not again."_

"_No," he replied stubbornly, "I'm the man of the house; I should be able to protect my own family." And, with that, the man walked away. "Wait!" his wife hissed, but too late; he had already gone._

_Agonizing minutes past- the children cuddled into their mother, fearful for their father. Finally, he came out, ruffled but seemingly fine. "It's alright," He smiled widely, "It was just—"_

_CRASH!!  
BAM!!_

_The caravan exploded as bandits crashed through the trees, roaring loudly._

"_ALEX!!" Their mother shrieked, but her voice was lost as the flames ate away at the once wondrous meadow._

_All they remembered next was the heat of the fire, the burning of their flesh, and the panicked screams that seemed to echo from all around before a deafening blackness consumed them._

_***FLASHBACK ALERT: END***_

Thomas fell to the floor, sobbing slightly; Eve, however, simply slumped over on the cabin wall and stared at the sea.

"Ah," a voice made both of the children jump. They turned to see the man responsible for all of this; he seemed like a gentleman of high-class- well-dressed, well-equipped…_a complete tool._ The little girl scowled to herself, narrowing her eyes at the tall man.

Reaver looked down at the children, realizing just then how much they looked like their mother. He first looked at the girl. Eve had long, dark hair that framed her heart-shaped face as her dark blue eyes seemed to pierce him, and the bright blue lines etched her face illuminated all of those features; she was, basically, the spitting image of Amelia. Reaver then turned his attention to Thomas; he was far taller than his sister- a half-a-foot, at least- and his slightly gaunt features gave him an eerie edge to all of the dirty looks he was giving Reaver. His short charcoal-auburn hair, which seemed to change color in the light, waved slightly about his face and created a more childish look to his angular features. Reaver cocked his head slightly as he smirked; he wondered if they held any resemblances to their father at all.

"…What are you doing up so late, children?" He asked, a slyness slithering in his voice.

"What're YOU doin' up so late?" the boy mocked, his black eyes glaring into Reaver's green ones as the young boy curled up next to Eve. Reaver was taken aback slightly; he hadn't been talked to like _that_ since he had mistook Margaret with Rosalie*1, and that must have been two hundred years ago, at the very least (though Rosalie hadn't minded at all).

"Hmm…well…What does the little girl say, hmm?" He gave his famous wide smiles as he put his hands behind his back, leaning a tad forward as though in interest.

"…"Eve merely stared blankly at him before saying in an expressionless, quiet voice, "You're a tool."

"…Well, you're rather out-spoken, aren't you?" He replied, his nostrils flaring slightly from annoyance. _Brat._

_Ass._ A small voice popped into his head. Surprised yet again, he looked as the girl- he could have _sworn_ it was her voice. As though to confirm his suspicions, Eve's small mouth twitched slightly into a smile. He glared and said casually, "Alright, kiddies. You win this round."

Eve leaned towards her brother, whispering something, and the boy nodded in response. Then both children turned to Reaver.

"What're we doin' on 'is boat?" Thomas asked, his poor speech skills obviously showing. Reaver raised a fine eyebrow. "Why, to Bloodstone, of course."

The boy wrinkled his pointed nose in disgust, and Eve sighed in disappointment. "What's wrong with Bloodstone?" Reaver asked disdainfully.

"Well, first off, it's crime-riddin'." Thomas started.

"Yes, but-"

"And it's so unclean," the girl interrupted Reaver as she held her face in the palm of her hand, bored.

"It's not-"

"And it smells foonny." Thomas held his nose.

"Well, no-"

"And it's filled with stupid people," Eve finished bluntly. Reaver pursed his lips; he couldn't argue with that. There was a long pause, until Thomas finally said, worry edged in his voice, "Where's momma?"

"Oh, probably asleep by now," Reaver yawned. Eve snorted slightly, and Thomas sighed.

"What now?" Irritation finally edged the man's voice.

"Momma's en _unsomnac_."

"A _what_?"

"An _insomniac_" Eve corrected her brother, letting out a small sigh.

"Oh, how frightfully exciting…" Reaver exclaimed, letting his voice ooze with sarcasm, "And when did this start, hmm?"

"Three yeers ago," the boy answered, a quizzical look growing on his angular features. "Why?" 

At this, the man's eyebrows arched. _Three years, hmm? Must be restless…_

"She's worried," Eve said, in response to Reaver's thoughts

"How did-"

She tapped her head.

"…Ah. Well, what's she so worried about? I mean, if it's not about me, then she's got-"

"Us." The siblings responded in unison.

"You two?" Reaver chuckled under his breath, "Doesn't she have a _husband_ or something to worry about you two instead?" He said 'husband' with a touch of venom. At this, both children looked down at the floor.

"Oh, how interesting, did something happen?" This time, he was actually interested, even if only by a fraction.

The girl pouted slightly as she looked out at the sea, blue eyes watering slightly. "I…I didn't even really like him, anyway…So pushy…and…and…" her lip quivered slightly, and she fell silent. It was Thomas who actually answered his question.

"He's dead."

"Oh," false sorrow leaked from the man's voice, "So…your poor mother is all alone…" Reaver turned away from the children, placing a hand behind his back as he walked towards the edge of the boat, "…no one to comfort her…" He rubbed his chin, processing this newfound information, "…She must be very lonely, not having someone her own age to be with…" he feigned concern, an arm dramatically going over his forehead, as though he were in a play.

"Yeah…" Thomas agreed sadly, although stubbornly. Eve, however, just glared at the older man; she knew what he was trying to do. Suddenly, Thomas leaped upward, landing gracefully on his feet. "I know what'll we do!" he exclaimed cheerfully, "We'll find momma a new hubband!"

"Oh," Reaver turned back to the children, smiling thinly, "And, where exactly will you start this quest of yours? I mean, you only want the _best _for your mother, and, in fact, the best is-"

"Not you."

Reaver's eyes narrowed at the little girl. _"Excuse me?"_

"Well, you're not." Eve stood up finally, placing her hands on her hips, "We don't want a pompous tool as our step-father, or even _near _her." At this point, the siblings were standing together, glaring at the older man in unison. "Yeah, sho leave momma alon," Thomas added, agitation growing in his poor speaking skills

"Oh," Reaver scowled as his eyebrow rose even higher, "and what if I don't _feel_ like leaving her alone?"

"Then, we're going to make your life miserable," the girl said menacingly, Thomas nodding in agreement as he cracked his rather pointed knuckles (which was all together, odd). In spite of himself, Reaver gulped quietly, suddenly lost for words, when Amelia walked in.

"Ah, Shadowfiend," Reaver said turning to her, smothering his voice with classic charm. Amelia merely gave him a grimace before walking to her children. "Ah, yes, I was just met your _petits diables*__2_," the man forced himself to smile again, this time with little success, "They're _wonderful._"

"Now, shouldn't you two be asleep?" The mother completely ignored Reaver, giving her kids a warm smile. Reaver folded his arms, now giving the woman's back a scowl. _Why doesn't she look at ME that way?_ He questioned himself, completely baffled. _Does she think I'm ugly? No that can't be it, I'm too handsome…Is that it? Am I TOO attractive?...Hmmm…. Does she think I'm…a jerk?_ Reaver paused again. _….No, that's impossible….Hmmm…._

Reaver looked at the young mother again, who was hugging her children. Thomas was the first to notice Reaver's stare, and accordingly stuck his tongue out at the older man. However, before Reaver could say anything, a yell came from the front of the ship. "Mr. Reaver!!" a young man came running in, waving a hand, "we've reached Bloodstone, sir," the thin man said.

"Well, you could've just yelled to…I'm busy…"Reaver sighed in reply.

"Oh….Alright…" the other man said, sounding slightly disappointed as he walked out. Reaver was looking at the other man's rear when Sebastian burst out of nowhere, knocking Reaver off of his feet.

"Oof!!"

At this, everyone laughed- even Amelia.

Hearing her laugh made Reaver stop struggling with the dog that was now biting leg; his eyes became wide as a strange, warm feeling rose in his chest and he suddenly forgot to breathe. Her laugh was…wonderful; a warm, cheerful thing that world had hidden away.

"What's up wif you??" Thomas asked, hiding his chortles at Reaver's blue face.

"….Nothing. I'm fine." The man responded quickly in a high voice. The two children chuckled under their breaths as the dog skipped over to Amelia. Reaver stood, stumbling slightly, and walked backwards to the rear of the boat. "I'll… see you at the inn." He said, before walking briskly away, back straight as a ruler.

The family he had just left merely stared. Amelia, still holding her children, asked in a blunt tone,

"What's up with him?"

______

Reaver walked on a cold, cobblestone sidewalk, his green eyes searching for something that could distract him from what happened on the boat. There wasn't much; a vendor, a man who looked like he needed a bath, and the occasional prostitute trying to get his attention. "Hey, suga, need some…company?" One rather obese, scantily-leather-clad woman said to him. Reaver stopped, staring at the woman in a silent stare of cold dislike.

"Oh, _GOD NO._"

And with that, Reaver pulled a gun on the woman, shooting her point blank in the head- no one seemed to notice. The regally-dressed man sighed, shoving the gun back into its holster, and trudged slowly towards the inn. What was this feeling, coming towards him and hitting him like lightning? Reaver looked at the ground, trying to sort his feelings. This warmth….so rich, so kind, piercing his forsaken soul with a soft comfort….He hated it. He was Reaver- THE Reaver, for Gods' sake!! The man who could get anything he wanted, the man every woman (and many men) wanted to be with. He paused, thinking hard to find the answer to his persistent questions. He was only answered by the bustle of alleyways nearby. "Hello again, Reaver." A voice interrupted him. Turning, Reaver saw Theresa, sitting on a bench near the inn.

"Oh. Hello, there." The man said blankly.

"Did you bring them?"

"Of course I brought them- wait, how did you kno-"

"Well? Why did you come alone?" The old seer walked closer, the all-knowing gleam that always appeared to be in her milky eyes seemed to shine even brighter. "Or, did something happen in the boat?" Reaver stepped back slightly, puffing up his chest in agitation, "No."

Theresa only smiled before looking towards the road again.

"They're here."

************

**-Thomas can't quite speak correctly, so those mistakes WERE on purpose.**

**-Marie and Rosalie*****1****- Made up characters that I randomly put in there to compare the situation with.**

_**-Petits diables**_*******2****- It **_**should**_** mean 'small devils' in French, if Google Translator and I are not mistaken.**

**-I promise, the story will (hopefully) get better in the next chapter. Well, until then, Au revoir!! **

**-P.S- LOL REAVER/FEMHERO PAIRING!!! :D (So far, one-sided) **


	4. Child Care

**Chapter Four: Child Care**

**-You could say this is a 'filler chapter' to move along the plot, wherein I find ways to further embarrass the main characters or make them do they may not do if they were in their right mind. So, what I'm basically saying is that this chapter is because I'm trying to think of ways to further the plot. **

**___  
**

Amelia was leaning back in her seat, her two children sitting on either side of her as Theresa finished a brief yet vague summary of what she wanted the young Hero to do.

"So…" The Fourth Hero said after a pause, "you want me to give up the life I've tried to rebuild for three or so years to fight some impending evil that you won't even bother to tell me about?" The children watched the old seer carefully as a slightly dull silence ensued.A few minutes later, Reaver, who had decided to sit as far away from the family as possible, sighed and stood up.

"Well, this is all very exciting, but I really must be going," he began to strut away, "Toodle-oo."

"Reaver," Theresa stopped him in mid-step, her milky eyes not even looking up at him, "I want you to help Shadowfiend."

"_What??_" Reaver and Amelia said in unison before looking at each other, then looking back at Theresa as though she were mad.

"I've already done what you wanted!" Reaver stomped his foot slightly.

"Who says I'm doing this anyway?" the fourth Hero crossed her arms, "I have a family to take care of, now," her children stared at her blankly before their mother said, shoulders drooping, "Ugh, fine." She then pointed at Reaver viciously. "But I am NOT working with that….that pig!"

"Oh," Reaver said, pouting as he placed a hand over his heart, "Now you've gone and hurt my feelings…"

"Enough, mother," Theresa was joined by Eve, who had hopped off of the bench and calmly walked towards the blind old woman. The small child looked up at the seer, a frown creasing her face before continuing, "If you two have to work together, then you _will_ work together…" She paused as Thomas, who was still on the bench, glowered and folded his arms crossly, "…even if no one wants to."

Thomas merely glared at Reaver, cracking his knuckles menacingly and joined his sister.

The blind seer looked in the young girl's direction. "Very wise, little one." She turned to the adults, "Reaver, you know what you're risking if you refuse. As for you, Shadowfiend, this task is up to you. It always has been." With that, the old woman turned and began to walk away. "Your search starts tomorrow," Theresa said in an empty voice before a blue light enveloped her.

There was a silence as Reaver began to kick the ground with his foot, watching the dust. "Well," he finally said to the younger woman, "looks like we're going to be spending a lot more time together." He put his hands on his hips and gave her a fake smile, "this should be fun."

Amelia, however, ignored him once again and began talking to her children. "Come now, children, let's get somewhere safer," she took her kids gently by the hand and led them towards Reaver's (now previous) home.

"Well, how nice you find my home so safe," the man commented charmingly.

"It's not your house," Eve said simply.

"…What?"

"Yeah," Thomas jumped in, "Momma bough' it yeers ago."

Reaver narrowed his eyes at the mother, "Damn, it looks like I'm may to have to kill you later." He pouted once more and uttered, "and you look so lovely, too…." He couldn't see it, but by then Amelia's face had begun to turn red as they reached the stairs of the mansion. "A-alright, children, inside," she ushered the two inside. Reaver raised an eyebrow as he guessed what was wrong with the young woman- this may have been for something, after all.

***a few hours later…***

When someone knocked on the door, it was well after midnight and the children were fast asleep. Before Reaver could do anything, the Fourth Hero had already opened the door. "Hel-" but her eyes went wide with shock.

"Hello again, Shadowfiend," a stern and overall horrid voice came from the other person as she walked in uninvited. Reaver kept himself hidden, watching the spectacle from the living room. "..Or whatever your name is."

"What are you doing here?" Amelia said to the other woman, a hatred entering her voice that Reaver hadn't heard from her before. _Hmm, this should be interesting…_

The other woman invited herself to a seat, just enough in view so the hiding man could see. She was a thin, short woman, with what seemed to be an eternal sneer plastered to her rather unattractive face. Reaver's nose wrinkled with slight disgust- she wore far too much makeup and perfume, and even he thought it was enough to make a man turn away and vomit. Her outfit wasn't great, either- a tight, short grey skirt and a tight, white blouse.

"You know very well why I'm here," the snide woman replied, authority in her voice.

"I won't let you take them away," the Hero hissed menacingly.

"Pfft, like you have a choice."

"Why? Why are you doing this?"

"Two reasons," the woman crossed her legs, "One: Your husband's dead and you're starting up adventuring again and two-"

"That IS two reasons, you-"

"-And two," the woman talked over Amelia, a smirk forming on her disgustingly pink lips, "I don't like you."

At this, Reaver's nostrils flared, if only slightly. _How dare she mock Shadowfiend?_ The hidden man began to think, letting the anger rise in his stomach,_ After all, she was the one who-waitaminute_, Reaver stopped himself, trying to recollect his thoughts before he did something stupid. _What am I thinking? I don't even like those little brats, anyway…_He went back to watching. _At least I'll be rid of them for awhile..._ Reaver felt something cold in his calloused hand, and when he looked down, he found that he had been reaching for his gun. He jerked his hand away before returning to the spectacle.

"…And how would you know if I'm starting adventuring or not?"

The other woman smirked, "I have my sources…"

"…Is there nothing I can do?"

_Don't do anything…_

"Well, unless you find a new husband in about forty seconds, no," the other woman chuckled.

"But I've trained them to protect themselves and-"

"Well, then, they'll be able to fight off the bullies, won't they?"

_Don'tdoanythingstupid, don'tdoanythingstupid…._

"But my family will be moving around-"

"That doesn't matter, regulation says there has to be at least two parents" She looked at the clock on the wall and gave the Hero an unpleasant smile, "You have twenty seconds to find a husband…"

"But I-"

"Eighteen..."

_DON'T. DO. ANYTHING._

"You-"

"Fifteen…"

"I can't-"

"Hello, my darling!" Reaver burst through the doors, grabbing Amelia from behind, "Is this where you've been? You know, I got lonely waiting for you," he began to rub the woman's waist and placed his head on her shoulder.

The woman sitting in the chair looked at Reaver in shock, "And what are you doing?"

"Why, being her fiancé, of course!" Reaver gave her his famous smile as he snuggled into Amelia's hair, "Well, she wanted to keep it quiet about it, but I knew it would come out sooner or later."

"Reaver!" Amelia hissed, her face now as red as a tomato.

"Oh, see? Still so modest about marrying the best-looking man in…well…ever." He pulled out a ring (which he always kept in case there was an attractive woman about), and almost forced it onto Shadowfiend's finger.

"Reaver!" Amelia hissed again, this time in shock rather than embarrassment. _What the hell is he doing?!_

"…Why in Albion would you want to marry _her_, Reaver?" the other woman said, standing up.

"Well, she's famous, rich, smart, deadly, beautiful… and a good romp on the bed" he added with a sneaky grin on his face as Amelia gave him a death glare. Ignoring the woman now in his arms, he let his smile fall, "Way better than you, in every way," there was another pause, "So? We're husband and wife, now. Shoo. Tatty-bye. Go on, go on." He waved his towards the door. The woman huffed and strutted out, the door slamming behind her.

Amelia slightly glanced up at Reaver before looking back at the floor, "Thanks," she mumbled, "how can I-"

"-Repay me?" Reaver smirk as he groped at her skirt, "Well, some _quality_ _time_ would be nice…"

Amelia pushed his hands off, "No, thanks…" she walked a couple of feet away before pausing to turn back to the man. "Why did you help me, Reaver?"

"Well, I did it because…because…umm…" Reaver paused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully_. Why in the world did you do that?_ "Hmmm… Well, I don't have to tell you."

Amelia merely gave him a small smile, "Goodnight, Reaver," and she walked upstairs, leaving Reaver alone, with him with only his pounding heart and a mind full of questions.

…_What the bloody hell just happened…?_

****…MEANWHILE… (because I'm bored, that's why)****

The man looked at himself in the mirror, placing the re-stitched red hood over his head.

"J-just like you w-wanted, s-sir," the terrified tailor stuttered in terror.

"Yes, very much so…" a sophisticated voice came from the other man, turning to look at the poor tailor with gleaming golden eyes. Then the red-hooded man turned to leave.

"E-e-excuse me, but…"

"But what?"

There was a paused.

"…N-neverm-mind sir, nothing," the small man squeaked. "…Good." As the tall man began to leave, he paused again, pulling out a thin object that shined in the moonlight. "Oh, and…one more thing…"

"Ye- " the tailor didn't have a chance as he was pinned to a wall and a dagger slammed into his heart. The other man simply picked up a large, old piece of parchment and scribbled something in the man's blood before hanging it on the now dead tailor.

It read, "_Jack of Blades is back._"

**___**

**-Sorry, it's shorter than I usually like...(And I messed up the characters majorly)**

**-I know, this chapter may sound a bit forced, but I'll try to fix that later and not to do that again.**

**-This chapter is mainly for drama and to introduce Jack once more.**

**-Yes, writing the scene with Reaver pretending to be Amelia's fiancé was ridiculously fun.**

**-Any advice on how to write the other two Heroes? (I'm still deciding if I should put them in or not…)**

**-And yes, I will be making a Pokemon joke about Reaver sometime in the future. **

**-Comments would be marvelous, please and thank you. If you have any questions or ideas for this story at all, please leave a comment- I will try to answer those questions as best I can without giving you any spoilers…unless you REALLY want them, of course… (and even then, I may not tell you)**

**-…Damn, this Author Notes seems to be extremely long…. Go figure….Anyway, until the next chapter! 8D**


	5. Homeward Bound

**Chapter 5: Homeward bound**

**Sorry for the recent update of crap-tastic chapters- I have been incredibly sleeeeeeeeeepppyyyyyyy…. Anyway, here's the next chapter! Now I'm going to take a nice, long nap… **

It was too early when Reaver woke up to hear a knock on the door once again.

_Damn that infernal cow, why does she bother me THIS early in the morning?!_ His thought to himself groggily as he rolled out of the bed to answer the door, forgetting he was only wearing his boxers.

"What do you want, you-" he paused as he looked over the newest quest, "Oh. You, too?"

The man who stood before Reaver was a tall, thin man, with graying hair and dark skin. He was adorned with layers and layers of ancient-looking scrolls over his blue-grey coat, and the Will scars on his face glowed with such a light that he could have been used as a human lantern. The man, now standing outside of the house in the cold snow, looked at Reaver in amusement, the large lens on his eye making adding a certain eeriness to his stare.

"Yes, it would seem so."

"So…" Reaver leaned on the doorframe lightly, "…Garth was it? What is the old witch going to bother me with now?"

Garth walked into the house, leaving behind a trail of dirt and a now very agitated Reaver next the door. "Well?"

"Where is Sparrow? She needs to be down here, now." The mage ignored the other Hero's question and began walking up the stairs.

Reaver paused, looking at Garth with a questioning stare"…Who's Sparrow?"

Garth just sighed, an irritated grimace coming upon his face, "The Fourth Hero."

"Ohh, I thought she was-"

"Shadowfiend? Yes, I heard that she had changed it, but I thought you would have found out by now. Apparently, she has gone through many a title…"

"Yes, yes, very important business…"Reaver paused for a moment, considering what the Second Hero had just said, "Does she even have a name?"

"Most people do," Garth responded, his voice monotone as he leaned against the wall.

"That doesn't answer my question."

"…" Garth ignored the other man once more (much to Reaver's distain) and instead looked at the stairs, listening for the faint footsteps from upstairs. "They are coming downstairs."

And, sure, enough, Eve, Thomas and Sebastian practically tumbled down the staircase, their mother walking gracefully behind them. The two children stopped short, looking at the dark-skinned mage with wide eyes. Thomas turned back to his Shadowfiend and said, excitement edging in his voice, "Momma, is 'dis Oncle Garf?"

" 'Uncle' Garth?" The mage chuckled under his breath, "I did not think they would like me, from what they said in the letters you sent…"

"_Letters?_" Reaver squeaked slightly, teeth gritted as he looked at the family in shock, "you sent him letters??"

"Yes. I did," Amelia looked back at him, a frown inching at the edge of her lips- she was far too tired to notice that he was only wearing boxers. Reaver felt a pang of jealousy tug at him as he heard her say that; why hadn't she bothered to send any letters to him? Was he not important enough? _Dammit, man, get a grip on yourself! _The Third Hero cursed at himself as he tried to pull himself together.

"It's been awhile, old friend." Garth patted the younger Hero's shoulder as she gave him a small smile. Thomas looked at Reaver and almost covered his eyes, "AAuugh!!! Momma, he's got nuffin' on!!" Eve merely chuckled under her breath and continues to ask Garth questions about Samarkand. Amelia, who had become fully awake at her son's distressed voice and looked at Reaver, her face turning pink, "Good Avo, man, do you have any dignity?!" Reaver, finally noticing his appearance as he looked himself over, merely shrugged. "So?"

"'_So'??_" Amelia repeated unbelievably, "Go get some clothes on!"

Reaver sighed, walking up the staircase and smirked slightly as he passed the younger Hero. "Oh, fine, but I still don't see the problem…"

Amelia sighed and shook her head before looking back at her old friend, "So, how was your trip to Samarkand? Enjoyable, I hope," she began to walk down the steps, Garth and the children following closely.

"This is not the time for that discussion- right now, we have to talk about the Old Kingdom, and what we are facing."

Shadowfiend's face darkened, her eyes practically sparking with energy, "Did Theresa tell you?"

"Yes."

She motioned the older Hero into the study, "Come, then. Let's talk. What did she tell you?"

****

Jack waded through the dark swamp, its marshy waters squelching under his metal boots as he walked towards the ruins of an old town.

_So…This is what Oakvale has become, now…_ He paused as he looked towards the flooded town, folding his arms as he tilted his head slightly, _I wonder who came here before I could…Hmmm… _

"No matter…"

He paused in his thoughts yet again as he raised a clawed hand. At a twitched of his sharp fingers, the echoes of screams filled the air, tormented wails and shrieks of the shadows still rising from the dark depths of the waters as a figure crawled from the ruins, gasping as dark magic reanimated her muscles and flesh. She spluttered, her eyes wide and animal-like as she looked at a hand reaching for her.

"…We can still make this world burn."

****

Reaver staggered slightly, a sudden wooziness coming over him- he could tell something was wrong, but what? Pushing the thought to the back of his head, he finished dressing and walked back down to what was once his study.

"… _that_ close? I mean, I know it would have to be in Albion, but…in Wraithmarsh?" Reaver felt a shiver go down his spine as he heard the name of that horrid place.

"Why? Were you expecting an ancient being to know about the destruction of one of the-"

"I know, I know," Shadowfiend interrupted the mage, taking her face in her hands, "But…we'll have to move the kids somewhere safer…" Reaver heard the worry in her voice as he walked down the stairs.

"The safest place is with you," Garth said to his young friend, shrugging.

"But it's also the most dangerous…" She quietly retorted, paying little attention to Reaver as he walked into the room.

"Hey! We're shtill 'ere, ya know!" Thomas said indignantly, folding his arms as his sister sat in front of the fireplace, Sebastian laying his head in her lap. "We should 'ave a right ta-"

"Did I miss anything?" He interrupted as he fixed one of his sleeves. The Fourth Hero glared at the taller man, leaning back in her seat before looking back at her children and ignoring him completely.

It was Garth who answered him "Yes, actually," he held out a book for him, "Have you heard of a town called Oakvale?" At this, Reaver's throat tightened as he reached for the book. His breathing slightly wavered as he snatched the book away from the mage, Reaver's mouth twitched downwards as he replied, "No, I haven't."

"Ah, well, I could not have expected more- most people do not know anything about it, these days." The old mage looked back at Shadowfiend, who now stared at Reaver with a look of confusion before looking back at Garth.

"We were just discussing about what to do with the children."

At this, both children stood, folding their arms again as they pouted, "But mother! You know we can take care of ourselves if you're fighting some…some undead thing! You can take us!" Eve sighed, Thomas muttering agreements from behind her.

"No, I won't allow it…."Amelia bit her index finger in worry, "Hmm…You could stay here…but I'd have to leave you with someone…"

"But we can take care of our-!"

"Thomas, you know you need-"

"Mum, but-" this time, Shadowfiend placed her hand gently over her son's mouth and said, "No. If you two are going to stay here, you are going to have someone else with you. An adult someone." She let go of her son and began biting her finger once again, "But who?"

Garth looked at the stressed mother, his visible eyebrow raised, "Maybe Reaver could stay-"

"NO." Everyone responded in unison. Even Sebastian began to growl at the notion.

"Those little brats would slit my throat as I sleep!" Reaver gasped as his hand flew to his neck.

"I would never trust _him_ to take care of my children!" Amelia pointed at the Third Hero, then folded her arms and muttered as she realized what that meant, "besides, he might bring a whore in…"

"_Excuse me?!_ I do NOT have to pay for such pleasures!" Reaver stomped his foot.

"Well, could've fooled me!" Amelia stood from her seat, glaring Reaver in the eye.

"And what, exactly, are you implying?!"

"I'm 'implying' that you-"

"That's enough, you two." Garth calmly intervened, sighing slightly as he stood up and walked to the door, "I will watch the children- I can find out more about what we're up against. You two might as well get ready."

Shadowfiend looked at Sebastian, sighing and patting him on the head, "You'll have to stay with Thomas and Eve…"

Sebastian did not seem happy about that prospect, but he walked over to the children, tail drooping to the floor.

_

It only took a few minutes for Amelia to get ready- Reaver took much longer. The younger Hero sighed impatiently next to his bedroom door.

"…Are you done yet? We should have left _half_ _an hour ago_."

"Oh, relax. And a half an hour isn't that long, my dear."

Shadowfiend sighed in irritation, "Fine, I'll wait for you outside. And don't _ever _call me 'dear'."

He could hear her stomp off, down the stairs and out the door. _What in Avo's name is her issue?_

"She doesn't like you." The voice of the little girl nearly made the Hero of Skill jump.

"What do you want, you little demon?" he opened the door to find little Eve walking elegantly into the room, reading a copy of _The Hero of Oakvale_.

"Yes, of course, you can come into my room," Reaver sighed, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Ignoring his comment, the young girl hopped onto a nearby seat, swinging her legs back and forth as she repeated, "Mother really doesn't like you, you know."

"Yes, yes, that much is obvious," He sat on the corner of the bed closest to Eve, "But why?"

"Because you are an arrogant, spineless, obscene shell of a man," Eve stated as she turned the page of her book. Reaver, at first, was too shocked by the girl's vocabulary to speak, but was able to find his tongue quickly, "She…she doesn't actually think of me _that_ way…does she?"

"Yes. And so do I."

"…Well, this doesn't bode well." The Hero paused, looking at the child with curiously, "You are a very odd child."

"Yes- you aren't the first person to say that."

There was another pause as Reaver stared blankly at the daughter of the Fourth Hero before talking again.

"Not that I care, but…What does it take to impress you people?"

"You'll find out one way or another. Not that we'll tell you, of course." Eve closed the book and began to leave the room- Reaver merely sighed in frustration.

"Shouldn't you be leaving?" the girl shouted from the staircase. Reaver hung his head and followed the girl's footsteps. Once he was outside, he found the younger Hero sitting on the bench and his eyebrow rose in interest. She was wearing a pair of Will user trousers, a tight corset, which showed the large heart-shaped Will scar under her collar bone, and a jacket; all of her were dyed red and a grey-ish purple, which made her pale skin glow.

"Love the wardrobe change, dear." Reaver looked her over and smiled, fantasizing. The Fourth Hero merely glowered at him before walking away.

"Hey, wait for me!"

***

They had been walking for only twenty minutes before Amelia handed Reaver a small object, "I believe this belongs to you."

He looked down to see the ring he had shoved onto her finger the previous night, and was surprised to feel a pang of disappointment wedge into his heart. Although he knew they weren't really engaged, he still thought she would at least keep the ring. _Then again, she doesn't think that much of me, does she?_ Reaver sighed inwardly before pushing her hand away, "No, you keep it- if that damn cow comes back and you don't have that ring, there'll be trouble."

Amelia glanced at him, a quizzical look coming upon her face, before shrugging and looking back at the ring. She usually had a good mind to throw it away, or sell it at least, but lately every time she thought of that, she would hold the ring in her hand, as if she didn't want to let go. _Well, it is a nice ring…_ she sighed and put it back in her pocket, _it's not like I like him or anything…_

There was another long pause in which Reaver shot at a man making vulgar gestures at them. Amelia merely sighed and walked on. They were both silent until they reached the open Demon Door, where Reaver grabbed the young Hero's arm and dragged her in with him.

"Reaver?! What are you doing?!"

Once they were inside, Reaver shoved her in front of him, raising his gun to her heart.

"What the-"

"I'm guessing you read my diary," Reaver watched the woman carefully, his face surprisingly stoic. Shadowfiend paused before realizing what he was talking about.

"Look, this isn't the time for this, R-"

"This is a perfect time," Reaver interrupted, his apathetic façade slightly wavering, "Now. Tell me."

"…Yes. I did," she replied after a sigh.

Reaver waved his gun ever so slightly as his eyebrows rose, his eyes closing as he walked casually around her, "So… I guess that's why you hate me, then?" he leaned towards the younger Hero as she backed away, and swiped a strand of his black hair back into place, "Are you just…repulsed by my actions?"

The Fourth Hero back further away from him, closer to the exit, "That…that is none of your business."

"Oh, but it is," the man gave her a smiled, "Now, just tell me. Oh, come now, don't make such a grim face- if I do shoot you, it won't be _that_ serious…" He chuckled, watching her inch towards the doorway.

Suddenly, he let his smile drop, "But I will shoot you. Tell me. _Now_."

She shuddered, her back straightening, "…No, that's not the reason. Let's go, now."

Reaver looked at the other Hero, confused.

"Please, Reaver. Let's just get this over with."

He paused again before putting his pistol back in its holster, "Alright. -sigh- Come along, now.." he ushered her out, following her closely.

"…Shadowfiend?"

"…What?" was her only response, cautiously looking over her shoulder.

"Why do you change your name?"

"…Well…because…it's harder for people to find me if I keep changing my name…"

"Ah."

Another pause.

"…Shadowfiend?"

"Ugh, what, Reaver?" She fully turned to look at the taller Hero, agitated.

"…Why do you hate me?"

She turned away from him, biting her lip, "Well… well, you are an arrogant, immoral shell of a man."

"Hmm, somehow, I think I've heard something like that before…"

"Come on, let's get moving."

"One more question."

"Why are you so talkative??"

"Because I want you to answer my question."

"-Sigh- Fine. One more."

"What do you think… about me after reading my diary?"

At that, the pair stopped walking to face each other, blue orbs blankly staring into green.

"At first, I didn't know what to think…" she hesitated, turning away again, "but… after awhile… I…" she bit one of her fingers, trying to find the right words, "…I pity you."

Reaver froze. She _pitied _him? Surely, she could not mean that- after all, he had everything he wanted. He was the king of the pirates, the lord of Bloodstone, the master gunman. He wasn't some lowly, frightened hollow shell.

Was he?

"Why?" his dry throat finally let him croak. But she didn't answer him; she didn't speak until they reached the ruins of his old, old home.

**Sorry about the wait- this took way too long. I'll try to make the next chapter come up a bit quicker than this one. And better. Way, way better.**

**Next chapter: Death**


	6. Notice!

**Notice!**

I apologize for not being able to submit chapters as much as I- or any of us- would like, but I have been fairly busy with my work. I will try my best to send in more chapters, but don't expect them to come in an orderly fashion.

Again, I'm sorry for how poorly written the last chapter was. It may be rewritten -although I would still keep the basic stuff in if I do-, so if I do –and even if I don't- ideas for what **YOU** think should have happened in this chapter, and what you think should happen in future chapters.

P.S- I'm planning on at least two of the later chapters will have more choice, each affecting the chapters to follow. These choices will basically be "choose either A or B" choices (unless said so), and you will be able to choose them…unless something in that plan goes wrong, or if you really, really don't want to (which would probably fall under the same category).

So…Yeah. That's basically the plan. Please leave any comments, critiques, or ideas you may have.


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